Industrial robot system and method for controlling an industrial robot

ABSTRACT

A method for controlling an industrial robot provides that position data of the industrial robot are detected and environment data of an object in an environment of the industrial robot are captured with an environment detection unit. The position data and the environment data are transformed into a common figure space, in which a control figure is defined for the industrial robot and an object figure of the object is represented. A parameter set is created which takes a dimensioning of the control figure in the figure space into account. The parameter set comprises a temporal and spatial correlation of the position data and the environment data and takes into account the movement history of the industrial robot and/or of the object. An action instruction is generated for the industrial robot if the control figure and the object figure satisfy a predefined criterion in relation to each other.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to German patent application DE 10 2019103 349.7, filed 11 Feb. 2019, entitled INDUSTRIEROBOTERSYSTEM UNDVERFAHREN ZUR STEUERUNG EINES INDUSTRIEROBOTERS, which is incorporatedby reference herein, in the entirety and for all purposes.

FIELD

The present invention relates to an industrial robot system and a methodfor controlling an industrial robot.

BACKGROUND

The use of industrial robots is now an essential feature in many areasof industrial production and manufacturing and in automation technology.An enormous increase in the number of deployed systems is also forecastfor the next few years and decades. An industrial robot refers to aprogrammable machine that can have multiple movable axes and usingtools, grippers or other manufacturing means, can perform handlingand/or manufacturing tasks in automation technology. An industrial robotwhich works together with human beings and is not separated from them byprotective devices in the production and manufacturing process is alsocalled a collaborative robot, or Cobot for short. In the following, inplace of the term Cobot the term industrial robot is used, however.

Due to the close cooperation of the industrial robot with human beings,an industrial robot must be able to detect people and act accordingly indangerous situations. Modern industrial robots usually detect peopleexclusively by the measurement of torques or force sensors. This means,however, that the industrial robot can only detect collisions withpeople once an actual collision has occurred. At no time prior to thiscan the industrial robot assess whether or not there is a computableprobability of a collision occurring with a human.

To improve the safety of a person cooperating with an industrial robotin industrial production and manufacturing and to avoid collisions, anadditional camera system can be installed. An example of such a camerasystem is described in DE 10 2006 048 166 A1. For the camera-baseddetection and modeling of persons the data which a multi-camera systemhas identified from the environment of the industrial robot are comparedwith known personal data, and in the event of a match a virtual image ofthe person is generated. The virtual image of the person is continuouslyadjusted to match the movement patterns of the person detected with themulti-camera system in the real environment of the industrial robot. Inaddition, the position and/or the movement patterns of the industrialrobot are determined. The data can be displayed in the same way as avirtual image of the industrial robot, together with the virtual imageof the person. Starting from the position and/or the movement patternsof the industrial robot, with a knowledge of the position of the personand his or her movement patterns in the virtual space in which thevirtual images are displayed, a potential hazard can be determined. Thepotential hazard is compared with a threshold value, in order to actupon the motion control of the industrial robot when the threshold isexceeded and to bring about a shutdown of the industrial robot or toslow down the movement of the industrial robot.

A disadvantage of such a camera system is the effect of the sensitivityof the cameras to changing lighting conditions, which can lead to errorsin image recognition. A 3D image computation, performed on the basis ofthe data from the cameras, also requires a large amount of computingpower. In particular, the calculation and display of a 3D point cloudfrom the data from the cameras requires multiple computing cycles. Inthis process, a 3D point cloud can have a set of points, wherein thepoints can represent the data from the cameras and/or additionalparameters and the point cloud, in other words the set of points, can berepresented in the form of an unordered spatial structure in amathematical vector space with, for example, three dimensions. Inaddition, a basic calibration of the camera system implies a calibrationof multiple cameras with each other, which requires additional effort.

Often the cameras are mounted as external cameras for monitoring theimmediate environment of the industrial robot outside the industrialrobot, or on the industrial robot itself. However, changing shadingpatterns which occur in the execution of the handling and/or productiontasks of the industrial robot require placement of a plurality ofexternal cameras in the space in order to ensure a reliable observationof the industrial robot and its environment. If the industrial robot isfinally moved to another location, the positions of the external camerasmust consequently be adjusted, in order to continue to provide a carefulmonitoring of the environment of the industrial robot.

As an alternative to a camera system, laser systems are also currentlyused for monitoring the environment of the industrial robot. However,the designs involving laser sensors are also reaching their limits, asoften only a 2D coverage is possible, similar to a camera system. Toavoid “dead” angles or shadow/shading effects in the monitoring process,the use of multiple laser sensors is also required, leading to highcosts. Since laser sensors often have a relatively high weight, thedynamics of the industrial robot can be reduced, if the sensors areinstalled in and/or on the industrial robot. In addition, laser sensorsusually comprise rotating parts and the rotational impulses then impacton the industrial robot when the laser sensors are placed on and/orattached to the industrial robot, causing a deterioration in the controlof the industrial robot.

SUMMARY

The present invention specifies a method for controlling an industrialrobot in an automation system, which comprises an improved collisiondetection and avoidance, and additionally provides an optimizedindustrial robot system.

EXAMPLES

According to one aspect, a method for controlling an industrial robot isprovided, wherein position data of the industrial robot are detected.Environment data from an object in an environment of the industrialrobot are detected with an environment detection unit. The position dataof the industrial robot and the environment data of the object in theenvironment of the industrial robot are transformed into a common figurespace in which a control figure is defined for the industrial robot andan object figure of the object in the environment of the industrialrobot is represented.

A parameter set is created, which takes into account a dimensioning ofthe control figure in the figure space. The parameter set comprises atemporal and spatial correlation of the position data of the industrialrobot and the environment data of the object in the environment of theindustrial robot, and takes into account the movement history of theindustrial robot and/or of the object in the environment of theindustrial robot. An action instruction for the industrial robot isgenerated if the control figure and the object figure in the figurespace satisfy a predefined criterion in relation to each other.

According to another aspect an industrial robot system is provided. Theindustrial robot system having an industrial robot having an environmentdetection unit, a position detection unit and a control unit, which isdesigned to carry out a method as claimed in any one of the precedingclaims.

According to another aspect a detection system is proposed, at leastincluding an environment detection unit and a position detection unit.Position data of the industrial robot are detected with the positiondetection unit of the industrial robot, and environment data from anobject in an environment of the industrial robot are detected with theenvironment detection unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The properties, features and advantages described above and the mannerin which these are achieved, will become clearer and more comprehensiblein conjunction with the following description of exemplary embodiments,which are explained in more detail in connection with the drawings.Shown are:

FIG. 1 a schematic structure of an industrial robot system.

FIG. 2 a schematic sequence of a method for controlling an industrialrobot of the industrial robot system;

FIG. 3 a drawing of a first and second scaled view of an object figureand a control figure in a figure space;

FIG. 4 a drawing of a third and fourth scaled view of the control figurein the figure space;

FIG. 5 a drawing of a planned trajectory of the control figure in thefigure space;

FIG. 6 a drawing of a protection zone around the control figure in thefigure space;

FIG. 7 an illustration of a threshold value that is undershot; and

FIG. 8 a representation of a geometric control body and a vector field.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Based on the following figures an exemplary embodiment of a method forcontrolling an industrial robot in an industrial robot system isdescribed. The industrial robot system here can be used in the contextof an automation system. The use specification should not be understoodrestrictively, however, as it can also be applied in other areas ofindustry, production and manufacturing, in which an industrial robotworks together with a human being, and is also not restricted to theexample of an industrial robot in an automation system described in thefollowing.

It should be noted that the figures are only schematic in nature and arenot true to scale. In keeping with this, components and elements shownin the figures may be shown exaggerated or reduced in size for a betterunderstanding. It should also be noted that the reference numerals inthe figures have been chosen to be the same for identically designedelements and/or components and/or dimensions.

An industrial robot refers to a programmable machine that can havemultiple movable axes or modules and using tools, grippers or othermanufacturing means, can perform handling and/or manufacturing tasks inautomation technology. An industrial robot which collaborates with humanbeings and is not separated from them by protective devices in theproduction and manufacturing process is referred to as a collaborativerobot, or a Cobot for short. Hereafter, the Cobot is referred to as theindustrial robot.

The industrial robot must therefore be able in particular to detectpeople and to act accordingly in dangerous situations. Industrial robotsfrom the prior art usually detect people exclusively by the measurementof torques or force sensors. This means, however, that the industrialrobot can only detect collisions with people once an actual collisionhas occurred. At no time prior to this can the industrial robot assesswhether or not there is a computable probability of a collisionoccurring with a human.

The proposed method for controlling the industrial robot can in thiscase be used advantageously, since it enables a timely collisiondetection of the industrial robot with a person or an object that canbe, for example, another industrial robot. The method works with afigure space, i.e. a mathematical-geometric description of a real spaceand its physically existing objects. In addition, the figure space cancomprise physically non-existent objects, in other words virtualobjects. The figure space can be designed to be n-dimensional, thefigure space having at least three dimensions or lengths, and otherdimensions can be obtained, for example, by the addition of a speed or atemperature. The figure space can thus be compared with a virtual space,with its contents forming the objects that are physically present. Inthis case, the physically existing objects can either be known oracquired using a detection unit and/or a sensor device. The physicallyexisting objects and the virtual objects can be represented in thefigure space in a simplified form or with a high degree of detail. Aconscious change in the properties of the physically present and thevirtual objects in the figure space is also possible. In addition, adynamic change in the figure space can be provided.

The proposed method provides for creating, from position data of theindustrial robot and environmental data of the object in the environmentof the industrial robot, a control figure for the industrial robot andan object figure for the object in the environment of the industrialrobot in the figure space. The object can be, for example, a humanbeing, another industrial robot or a device, that is, for example, amachine or system of the automation system. In this case, the dimensionsof the control figure and/or the object figure can be changed via aparameter set. For example, the parameter set can comprise a temporaland spatial correlation of the position data of the industrial robot andthe environment data of the object in the environment of the industrialrobot. Also, the parameter set can take into account the movementhistory of the industrial robot and/or of the object in the environmentof the industrial robot, thus their velocity and/or acceleration and/ortheir relative velocity and/or relative acceleration. In this contextalso, an additive decomposition of the velocities and/or accelerationsinto a tangential and a radial component can be carried out. Inparticular, by the method the movement and/or the distance to the objectin the environment of the industrial robot can be determined on eachaxis of movement of the industrial robot.

An action instruction for collision avoidance is generated for theindustrial robot as soon as the control figure and the object figure inthe figure space satisfy a given criterion in relation to each other.The specified criterion can be an intersection pattern of the objectfigure and the control figure in the figure space. For example, thecontrol figure and/or the object figure can comprise a protective zone,i.e. a three-dimensional structure, for example a ball, a wall, etc.,which can be dynamically adapted to the respective movement behavior ofthe control figure and/or the object figure and moves with the controlfigure and/or the object figure. By the protection zone around thecontrol figure and/or around the object an intersection pattern, thusfor example an intersection point, an intersection line, an intersectionsurface, an intersection volume, etc. of the two figures in the figurespace, can be determined at an early stage, before the two figures wouldactually intersect in the form of one of the above variants. Thus thesooner a potentially hazardous situation in the figure space can bedetected, the sooner an action instruction for the industrial robot canbe generated in this context. The specified criterion can also form anintersection pattern on an entire planned trajectory of the controlfigure with the object figure, wherein the intersection pattern can beformed as described above. Also in this context, the control figureand/or the object figure can be configured with the abovementionedprotection zone.

Similarly, the specified criterion can be implemented in the form ofovershooting or undershooting a predefined threshold value. Aconceivable criterion for exceeding a threshold is an accelerationand/or velocity of the control figure and/or the object figure, whichare above a specified acceleration and/or above a specified velocity,each of which can form a threshold value. A threshold value can also bespecified by a specific distance between the control figure and theobject figure in the figure space, or between the industrial robot andthe object in the real space. A measured distance which is determinedcontinuously, for example, between the control figure and the objectfigure or between the industrial robot and the object can differ fromthe prescribed distance, i.e. the threshold value. In particular, themeasured distance for another object between the industrial robot andthe object in the real space can yield a shorter distance than theprescribed distance between the industrial robot and the object, thusleading to an undershooting of the threshold value.

The proposed method provides flexible options to mitigate hazardoussituations and/or potential collision situations by different strategiesbeing specified for collision avoidance, and due to the differentrepresentations of the control figure and/or the object figure and theirvariable scaling in the figure space, hazardous situations can bedetected and quickly avoided by using the collision avoidancestrategies. Also, different detection units and different sensors canform part of an extension and to an optimization of the proposedindustrial robot system.

A method for controlling an industrial robot is proposed. The methodprovides that position data of the industrial robot are detected andenvironment data of an object in an environment of the industrial robotare captured with an environment detection unit. The position data ofthe industrial robot and the environment data of the object in theenvironment of the industrial robot are transformed into a common figurespace, in which a control figure is defined for the industrial robot andan object figure of the object in the environment of the industrialrobot is represented. The control figure can also be implemented as arobot figure. A parameter set is created, which takes into account adimensioning of the control figure in the figure space and whichcomprises a temporal and spatial correlation of the position data of theindustrial robot and the environment data of the object in theenvironment of the industrial robot, and takes the movement history ofthe industrial robot and/or of the object in the environment of theindustrial robot into account. An action instruction is generated forthe industrial robot when the control figure and the object figuresatisfy a predefined criterion or a plurality of predefined criteria inrelation to each other in the figure space.

The industrial robot collaborates with human operators and/or within anenvironment in which static and/or dynamic obstacles are eithertemporarily or permanently present in the task space of the industrialrobot, i.e. in the region or sub-region in which the industrial robotperforms tasks. While working alongside the human operators and/orduring the movement within its task space the industrial robot is notseparated from the people or the environment of the task space by anyprotective device. For this reason, it is important to ensure the safetyof the human operators and to take protective measures to prevent acollision between the industrial robot and a human being and/or otherobjects, such as other robots or walls or other obstacles in the taskspace of the industrial robot. In particular, it is important toinitiate these measures before a collision occurs. The proposed methodcan be used advantageously in this context. The described method workswith the above-mentioned figure space.

A figure space is understood to mean a mathematical-geometricdescription of the image of a real space with its physically presentobjects. In addition to the actually existing objects the figure spacecan also comprise virtual, that is not physically present, objects. Thefigure space can be n-dimensional, wherein the figure space can have atleast three dimensions or lengths. Other dimensions may be produced, forexample, from the addition of a speed and/or a temperature and/or otherparameters. A figure space can be compared with a virtual space, thecontents of which correspond to the actually existing space. In thiscase, the actually existing objects are either known or acquired by adetection unit and/or a sensor device. Also, purely virtual objects canbe represented in the figure space. The objects can be displayed in thefigure space in simplified form or with a modified scaling. Furthermore,the figure space can be formed statically or dynamically. The figurespace can be displayed using a display device, such as a pair of videogoggles, a tablet or a smartphone, and can be an aid for theconfiguration, maintenance and analysis of the control method for theindustrial robot and the associated industrial robot system. Alternativedisplay devices for displaying the figure space are also possible.

For the specified criterion for the control figure and the object figurein the figure space an intersection pattern of the control figure forthe industrial robot and of the object figure of the object in theenvironment of the industrial robot is determined. An intersectionpattern can be implemented, for example, in the form of a point ofintersection, a line of intersection, an intersection surface, anintersection volume, etc. In addition, for the specified criterion forthe control figure and the object figure in the figure space, anintersection pattern of the control figure and of the object figure ofthe object in the environment of the industrial robot can be determinedon an entire planned trajectory of the control figure of the industrialrobot. The intersection pattern can be formed in the same way asexplained above. In addition, for the specified criterion for thecontrol figure and the object figure in the figure space, an undershootof a threshold or an overshoot of the threshold of the control figure ofthe industrial robot and/or the object figure of the object in theenvironment of the industrial robot can be determined.

To prevent a collision of the industrial robot with a human being and/orother objects, it may be expedient to use the proposed method forcontrolling the industrial robot in order to easily be able to satisfy acriterion that gives rise to the generation of an action instruction forthe industrial robot. Depending on the chosen representation of thecontrol figure of the industrial robot and the object figure of theobject in the environment of the industrial robot, the specifiedcriterion can be an intersection pattern of the two figures in thefigure space and/or an intersection pattern on an entire plannedtrajectory of the control figure with the object figure. Theintersection pattern can be formed as a point of intersection, anintersection line, an intersection surface or an intersection volume.Also, to determine the specified criterion that leads to an actioninstruction for the industrial robot, a response to a threshold valuecan be used. In this case, the threshold value can be a prescribeddistance, acceleration, speed, etc. For example, undershooting of thethreshold value (prescribed distance) may occur in the case of adistance between the control figure and the object figure, which has alower value than the value of the prescribed distance for the figures.Exceeding or undershooting the threshold value can cause the triggeringof the action instruction for the industrial robot. Exceeding thethreshold value can occur, for example, in the case of a velocity and/oracceleration of the object figure which is higher than the prescribedvalue of the velocity and/or acceleration for the object figure. Thesame is possible for the control figure for the industrial robot. Theproposed method can therefore be applied flexibly to different initialsituations.

The planned trajectory of the control figure of the industrial robot isdetermined and represented in the figure space as a polygonal chain or amathematical function. The representation of the planned trajectory ofthe control figure of the industrial robot as a polygonal chain or as amathematical function simplifies the prediction and/or calculation of apossible collision between the control figure for the industrial robotand the object figure of the objects in the environment of theindustrial robot.

A distance between a position of the object figure of the object in theenvironment of the industrial robot and the position of the controlfigure for the industrial robot in the figure space is specified andrepresented as such. The prescribed distance in the figure space canform the threshold value, for example. A measuring distance between theposition of the object figure and the position of the control figure inthe figure space is continuously determined. The threshold value isundershot if a measuring distance is determined which has a lower valuethan the threshold value. The proposed approach makes it possible toprovide so-called virtual “light barriers”. These can be formeddynamically or statically in the figure space, and interrupted ifanother object enters between the prescribed distance for the controlfigure of the industrial robot and the object figure of the object inthe environment of the industrial robot. Also, the prescribed distancecan be any distance between the position of the industrial robot and aknown position in the figure space. In addition to a light barrier asdescribed above, it is conceivable to form multiple such virtual lightbarriers in the figure space and to implement a network or a grid ofvirtual light barriers.

For dimensioning the control figure for the industrial robot and/or toprovide a dimensioning of the object figure of the object in theenvironment of the industrial robot the movement history of theindustrial robot is taken into account by the velocity of the industrialrobot and/or the acceleration of the industrial robot being determinedfrom the position data of the industrial robot, and/or the movementhistory of the object in the environment of the industrial robot istaken into account by the velocity of the object and/or the accelerationof the object being determined from the environment data of the objectin the environment of the industrial robot.

The control figure and/or the object figure in the figure space can bedimensioned dynamically from the movement history of the control figureand/or the object figure and is not defined statically. Also, thedimensioning of the control figure and/or the object figure can becarried out using other parameters, such as a temperature or a potentialdanger to an object to be transported from the industrial robot. In thiscase, the control figure and/or the object figure in the figure spacecan comprise a virtual image of the industrial robot and/or the objectfigure. In addition, it is conceivable to place a so-called protectionzone around the virtual image of the industrial robot and/or around thevirtual image of the object figure in the figure space. The protectionzone can be implemented in the form of a three-dimensional structure,for example, a sphere, a wall or another geometrical object and bedynamically adjusted to the motion of the industrial robot and/or themovement of the object. The size, i.e. the dimensioning of theprotection zone, can be carried out in accordance with the aboveexplanation.

The control figure for the industrial robot in the figure space can berepresented in a simplified form as a geometric control body. The objectfigure of the object in the environment of the industrial robot can alsobe represented in the figure space in simplified form as a geometricobject body. For the representation of the control figure and/or theobject figure it is not necessary to reproduce the real image of theindustrial robot and/or of the object in the environment of theindustrial robot. The geometric control body and/or the geometric objectbody can be constructed from a geometric object such as a cube, cuboid,cylinder, sphere, cone, etc., or from a plurality of such geometricobjects, wherein the one or more geometric objects correspond at leastto the outermost points of the industrial robot and/or of the object.This means that the geometric object/objects cover the dimensions of theindustrial robot and/or the dimensions of the object in the environmentof the industrial robot. In particular, by reducing the representationof the control figure of the industrial robot or the object figure tosimple geometric shapes in the figure space, the computational effortcan be advantageously reduced.

The object figure of the object in the environment of the industrialrobot and/or the control figure of the industrial robot can berepresented as a direction vector in the figure space. The directionvector has a length which is dependent on the movement of the objectfigure of the object in the environment of the industrial robot and/oron the movement of the control figure of the industrial robot. Also, inorder to calculate potential collisions a direction vector can be usedto represent the object figure and/or the control figure. The length ofa vector can also be dependent on a relative velocity of the objectfigure to the control figure, in the case of a direction vectorrepresentation of the object figure. Furthermore, it is conceivable tochange the direction vector or direction vectors for the case of arepresentation of a vector field using other parameters such as, forexample, the level of danger, if the control figure is to be consideredand this is intended for the transport of an object. Geometrical bodiescan also be added to the direction vectors.

During a movement of the control figure for the industrial robot and/orduring a movement of the object figure of the object in the environmentof the industrial robot in the figure space the control figure for theindustrial robot and/or the object figure of the object in theenvironment of the industrial robot is represented in the figure spaceon an enlarged scale and/or scaled with a higher degree of detail. Anenlarged scaling takes into account the dynamics of the control figureof the industrial robot and/or the dynamics of the object figure of theobject in the environment of the industrial robot. Also, a scaling witha higher degree of detail can reflect the dynamics of the control figureand/or the dynamics of the object figure, and/or a potential hazard tothe object which the industrial robot is transporting, for example. Withan enlarged scale and/or with a scaling at a higher degree of detail, animminent collision in the respective areas can be detected more quickly.This also has an advantageous effect on the sensitivity of the system.

The control figure for the industrial robot in the figure space can beextended to include an object. To do so, the control figure of theindustrial robot in the figure space is extended by one dimension of theobject. The control figure is not designed to be static, but can beextended dynamically if, for example, the industrial robot istransporting an object which is not harmless, such as a knife, etc.

The environment data of the object in the environment of the industrialrobot captured with the environment detection unit are represented as apoint in the figure space. A point cloud in the figure space has aplurality of points comprising distance information from the object inthe environment of the industrial robot. The points of the point cloudare filtered according to a filtering rule and the object figure of theobject in the environment of the industrial robot is created from this.The described approach makes the calculation of the object figure of theobject in the environment of the industrial robot more compact, fasterand simpler.

An action instruction for the industrial robot comprises the followingactions: slowing down the movement of the industrial robot; restrictionof the industrial robot to a given moment, which is provided by at leastone motor of the industrial robot; switching off the industrial robot; amovement of the industrial robot out of a task space in which theindustrial robot performs specified tasks when the object in theenvironment of the industrial robot is located in the task space, andtransferring the industrial robot into a waiting position, wherein theindustrial robot moves back into the task space if the object in theenvironment of the industrial robot has left the task space; and/or amovement of the industrial robot on an alternative trajectory when theobject in the environment of the industrial robot is moving on theplanned trajectory of the industrial robot. The alternative trajectoryfor the industrial robot can be specified or determined dynamically inthe figure space.

The action instructions for the industrial robot can be variable in formand adapted to suit the relevant situation. It is possible to generateone of the above instructions for the industrial robot, but multipleinstructions for the industrial robot can also be combined with oneanother, for example, the slowing down of the movement of the industrialrobot and the restriction of the industrial robot to a given moment thatcan correspond to a specified torque or specified force.

Furthermore an industrial robot system is also proposed, having anindustrial robot with an environment detection unit, a positiondetection unit and a control unit, which is designed to carry out amethod according to any one of the preceding claims.

The proposed industrial robot system can contribute to improving thesafety of people who work with the industrial robot, since using theproposed industrial robot system different mechanisms are provided formitigating potentially occurring hazard situations, and simplifieddisplay options are provided that allow a rapid assessment of theunderlying situation and a timely initiation of an action, for examplein the form of the action instruction for the industrial robot.

The position detection unit can also be designed in the form of apositioning system and/or a localization system. In addition, it isconceivable that the position detection unit is designed in the form ofa pair of Smart Glasses, a mobile phone, tablet etc. and forwards theacquired position data or known position data to the control unit andthus interacts with the industrial robot system.

The industrial robot is designed as a multi-axis robot and has at leastone arm, which is suitable for picking up an object. The industrialrobot has at least one motor for propulsion and for providing a moment.The environment detection unit of the industrial robot is designed tocapture environmental data of an object in an environment of theindustrial robot and transmit it to the control unit. The at least onearm of the industrial robot can comprise a plurality of axes. These canbe implemented as rotational and/or translational axes and can be drivenusing the at least one motor of the industrial robot. Also, the at leastone motor can be used to provide a moment, in other words a torque orforce if a linear motor is used for the industrial robot. Theenvironment detection unit can be implemented, for example, in the formof one or more LIDAR systems and/or in the form of one or more TOFcameras (TOF, time of flight) or an alternative scanning system withwhich the environment of the industrial robot can be scanned.

The environment detection unit of the industrial robot can beimplemented as an external environment detection unit. The environmentdetection unit does not necessarily need to be integrated in theindustrial robot, but can also be implemented in the form of an externalenvironment detection unit in the relevant space. It is also conceivableto use both an internal environment detection unit on the industrialrobot and also an external environment detection unit.

The environment detection unit of the industrial robot has a pluralityof TOF cameras and/or LIDAR systems that are integrated into the atleast one arm of the industrial robot and/or are designed as an externalplurality of TOF cameras and/or LIDAR systems. In particular, it can beprovided that a plurality of TOF cameras and/or LIDAR systems areintegrated in each arm, at least in each motion arm, which can also bereferred to as an axis or movement axis, so that at least the range ofmovement of each motion arm and/or a 360° range around each motion armcan be captured. The capture range can be increased by the use ofmultiple LIDAR systems and/or multiple TOF cameras. In addition, the useof multiple LIDAR systems and/or TOF cameras creates a redundancycapability and provides an improved failure safety and informationsecurity. The advantage of a time-of-flight camera is that the field ofview or the observation range of the camera can be recorded at the sametime, whereas with a LIDAR system a scan must be performed.

The control unit is designed to transform the position data of theindustrial robot and the environment data of the object in theenvironment of the industrial robot into a common figure space, which isdesigned to define a control figure for the industrial robot and torepresent an object figure of the object in the environment of theindustrial robot. The control unit is designed to create a parameterset, which takes into account a dimensioning of the control figure inthe figure space and which comprises a temporal and spatial correlationof the position data of the industrial robot and the environment data ofthe object in the environment of the industrial robot, and takes themovement history of the industrial robot and/or of the object in theenvironment of the industrial robot into account. The control unit isfurther designed to generate an action instruction for the industrialrobot if the control figure and the object figure in the figure spacesatisfy a predefined criterion in relation to each other. The controlunit can be used advantageously to process the environment data and todetermine a possible imminent collision between the industrial robot andthe object in the environment of the industrial robot.

The control unit can be integrated internally into the industrial robotor designed as an external control unit.

The industrial robot comprises a sensor device, which can also beimplemented as an external sensor device. The sensor device is designedto capture environment data of the object in the environment of theindustrial robot and transmit it to the control unit. The industrialrobot can comprise additional sensor equipment or the industrial robotsystem, in the case of an external sensor device. The sensor device canextend and optimize the industrial robot system and can be designed, forexample, in the form of a radar sensor and/or an ultrasonic sensor.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic structure of an industrial robot system 100.The industrial robot system 100 comprises an industrial robot 110. Thiscan be designed as a multi-axis robot and have at least one arm whichcan be suitable for picking up an object. For example, the industrialrobot 110 in this context can be intended for the transport of goods,which can present a potential hazard to a human being in the case of apointed or sharp object. Additional criteria for a potential hazard canbe, for example, heat, extreme cold, harmful radiation, heavy weight, orcomparable items. The axes of the industrial robot 110 can be designedas translational and/or rotational axes and enable the industrial robot110 to make translational and/or rotational movements. To drive theaxes, the industrial robot 110 can have at least one motor 150, whichcan also provide a moment for the industrial robot 110 in the form of atorque or a force.

The industrial robot 110 can have an environment detection unit 120 withwhich the industrial robot 110 can scan the environment, wherein eithera point of the environment or a so-called “cluster”, i.e. multiplepoints of the environment that may have similar properties and can bemerged to form a set, can be analyzed. Using the environment detectionunit 120, environment data from an object 170 in the environment of theindustrial robot 110 can therefore be captured. For example, theenvironment detection unit 120 can be implemented in the form of one ormore time-of-flight (TOF) cameras. A TOF camera is a 3D camera systemwhich can measure a distance with the so-called time of flight (TOF)method. To do so the surrounding area is illuminated with a light pulseand the TOF camera measures the time that the light for each pixel takesto travel to an object 170 in the environment of the industrial robotand back to a sensor of the TOF camera. This time is directlyproportional to the distance. The TOF camera therefore records thedistance to the object imaged on each pixel. The imaged object 170 canbe a person, another industrial robot or, for example, a device.

Alternatively, the environment detection unit 120 can be implemented inthe form of a LIDAR system. It is also conceivable that the industrialrobot 110 comprises a plurality of such environment detection units 120,and these are implemented as combinations of TOF cameras and LIDARsystems. A LIDAR system can constitute a form of laser scanning based onthe same principle as the time-of-flight camera, so that a (pulsed)light beam is emitted to scan the environment, and the light beam isreflected from an object 170 in the environment back to a receiver ofthe LIDAR system. From the signal propagation time and the velocity oflight it is possible to calculate the distance to the object 170 in anobservation range or a field of view. In contrast to a TOF-camera, thefield of view or the observation range of the LIDAR system cannot berecorded all at once, but must be scanned.

Also, the environment detection unit 120 of the industrial robot 110 cancomprise a plurality of environment detection units 120 on the at leastone arm of the industrial robot 110, which are implemented as LIDARsystems and/or as time-of-flight cameras and/or as alternative scanningsystems. The plurality of environment detection units 120 can bemounted, for example, on the industrial robot 110 such that for everypossible motion and/or position or pose of the industrial robot 110 nodead angles can occur. Furthermore, a positioning of the plurality ofenvironment detection units 120 can also be carried out in such a waythat a possible direction change of the industrial robot with theenvironment detection unit 120 results in such an area being captured asis relevant for the planned movement or target position.

In addition, the environment detection unit 120 of the industrial robot110 can comprise a sensor device, i.e. one or more sensors, which aredesigned to capture environmental data from the object 170 in theenvironment of the industrial robot 110. The sensor devices can extendand optimize the industrial robot system 100 and can be designed, forexample, in the form of a radar sensor and/or an ultrasonic sensorand/or an alternative sensor, with which environment data of the object170 in the environment of the industrial robot 110 can be captured.

It is also possible to use an external environment detection unit in theform of a TOF camera and/or in the form of a LIDAR system and/or in theform of a sensor device. This can be used in addition to the environmentdetection unit 120 of the industrial robot 110 to allow reliablemonitoring or scanning of the environment of the industrial robot andobjects that may be located in the environment of the industrial robot.An external environment detection unit can also comprise a plurality ofexternal environment detection units to provide an extensive monitoringor scanning facility for the surroundings of the industrial robot andthe industrial robot itself.

In addition to the environment detection unit 120 described above, theindustrial robot system 100 can comprise a position detection unit 130.The position detection unit 130 can be used in the industrial robotsystem 100, for example, to detect position data of the industrial robot110 and/or to forward these to a control unit 140. The positiondetection unit 130 in this case can be designed as a TOF camera, as aLIDAR system, or as any other detection unit which is capable ofdetecting position data of the industrial robot. For example, theposition detection unit 130 may be implemented in the form of anexternal unit in the industrial robot system 100. The position detectionunit can also be designed in the form of a positioning system and/or alocalization system. In addition, it is conceivable that the positiondetection unit is designed in the form of a pair of Smart Glasses, amobile phone, tablet, indoor GPS/outdoor GPS, etc., and detects theposition data of people, objects and/or other industrial robots andinteracts with the industrial robot system.

The position data of the industrial robot 110 and the environment dataof the object 170 in the environment of the industrial robot areforwarded to the control unit 140 of the industrial robot system 100.The control unit 140 of the industrial robot system 100 can beimplemented as a central unit or be integrated into the industrial robot110. The control unit 140 transforms the position data of the industrialrobot 110 and the environment data of the object 170 in the environmentof the industrial robot 110 into the common figure space, that is tosay, the mathematical-geometric description of the real space and itsphysically existing objects and/or physically non-existent, hencevirtual objects. The above environment data and position data areprocessed by the control unit 140 in the figure space, wherein thecontrol unit 140 defines a control figure for the industrial robot 110in the figure space and specifies an object figure of the object 170 inthe environment of the industrial robot 110. The control unit 140 alsocreates a set of parameters, wherein the parameter set takes adimensioning of the control figure in the figure space into account.Also, a dimensioning of the object figure can be captured by theparameter set. For example, the control figure and/or the object figurein the figure space each include a protection zone which can beimplemented in the form of a three-dimensional structure, for example, asphere, a wall or another geometrical object and be dynamically adjustedto the movement of the industrial robot and/or the movement of theobject. In particular, it is possible to perform the dimensioning of theprotection zone on the basis of the above-mentioned parameter set.

The parameter set can comprise a temporal and spatial correlation of theposition data of the industrial robot 110 and the environment data ofthe object 170 in the environment of the industrial robot 110. Inaddition, the parameter set can comprise the movement history of theindustrial robot 110 and/or of the object 170 in the environment of theindustrial robot 110. In the course of taking account of the movementhistory of the industrial robot 110, the velocity of the industrialrobot 110 and/or the acceleration of the industrial robot 110 isdetermined from the position data of the industrial robot 110. This caninvolve a decomposition of the velocity and/or the acceleration of theindustrial robot 110 into a radial component and a tangential component.Similarly, the movement history of the object 170 in the environment ofthe industrial robot 110 can be taken into account by the velocity ofthe object 170 and/or the acceleration of the object 170 beingdetermined from the environment data of the object 170 in theenvironment of the industrial robot 110. This can also involve adecomposition of the velocity and/or the acceleration of the object 170in the environment of the industrial robot 110 into a radial componentand a tangential component. In this context, it is also conceivable thata relative velocity with respect to the object 170 and the industrialrobot 110 and/or a relative acceleration with respect to the object 170and the industrial robot 110 is determined.

The control figure and/or the object figure can thus be dimensioned inthe figure space dynamically from the movement history of the controlfigure and/or the object figure, and therefore does not need to bedefined statically by the control unit 140. Also, the dimensioning ofthe control figure and/or the object figure can be carried out usingother parameters, such as a temperature or the potential danger to theobject to be transported from the industrial robot 110.

It is possible that the control unit 140 determines the velocity of theindustrial robot 110 and/or the acceleration of the industrial robot 110and/or the velocity of the object 170 and/or the acceleration of theobject 170 directly from the position data of the industrial robot 110and/or from the environment data of the object 170 in the environment ofthe industrial robot 110, before the control unit 140 transforms theposition data of the industrial robot 110 and the environment data ofthe object 170 in the environment of the industrial robot 110 into thefigure space. Alternatively, the control unit 140 can determine thevelocity of the industrial robot 110 and/or the acceleration of theindustrial robot 110 and/or the velocity of the object 170 and/or theacceleration of the object 170 from the position data of the industrialrobot 110 and/or from the environment data of the object 170 in theenvironment of the industrial robot 110, in fact only after thetransformation of the said data into the figure space. This can dependon whether the object 170, which is captured in the form of a pointcloud by the environment detection unit 120 of the industrial robot 110,which unit can be implemented, for example, as a single time-of-flightcamera or as a single sensor, is detected even before the transformationof the data from the point cloud into the figure space, or only in thecontext of other information in the figure space. This is possiblebecause the figure space can be designed to be n-dimensional and cantherefore comprise additional information or parameters, whichfacilitates a detection of the object 170 from the environment data andthe additional information or parameters.

The control unit 140 is designed to generate an action instruction forthe industrial robot 110 if the control figure and the object figure inthe figure space satisfy a predefined criterion in relation to eachother. Which specified criterion or specified criteria in the figurespace gives or give rise to the action instruction of the control unit140 for the industrial robot 110, will be explained in the followingfigures. The generated action instruction for the industrial robot 110is transmitted from the control unit 140 to the at least one motor 150of the industrial robot 110 in order to be able to control theindustrial robot 110 in accordance with the action instruction.

This means that an action instruction for the industrial robot 110 cancause a deceleration of the motion of the industrial robot 110, whichslows down the movement of the industrial robot 110 in order thus, forexample, to prevent a collision with a person or an object 170. Also,the action instruction for the industrial robot 110 can be designed insuch a way that the industrial robot 110 is thereby limited to aspecified moment. This can be defined by the control unit 140, forexample. Also, the industrial robot 110 can be shut down completely, inother words, put out of operation, as part of the action instruction. Inaddition, it is conceivable that in the course of an action instructionthe industrial robot 110 moves out of a task space if the object 170 inthe environment of the industrial robot 110 is located in the taskspace. For example, the task space can form a sub-region or a subset ofthe figure space in which the industrial robot 110 can perform specifiedtasks. For the time or time period in which the object 170 in theenvironment of the industrial robot 110 is located in the task space theindustrial robot 110 can be transferred into a waiting position and onlymove back into the task space when the object 170 in the environment ofthe industrial robot 110 has left the task space. In this case, themathematical boundary conditions of the task space can be different fromthe mathematical boundary conditions of the figure space 260.

In addition, the action instruction for the industrial robot 110 canprovide a movement of the industrial robot 110 on an alternativetrajectory. The alternative trajectory can be determined dynamically inthe figure space by the control unit 140. Alternatively, the controlunit 140 can define the alternative trajectory for the industrial robot110. The movement of the industrial robot 110 can then take place on analternative trajectory when the object 170 in the environment of theindustrial robot 110 is moving on the planned trajectory of theindustrial robot 110.

In the following text, details in the figures which have been alreadyexplained in the previous figures will not be repeated.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic sequence of a method 500 for controlling theindustrial robot 110 of the industrial robot system 100 shown in FIG. 1.In a first method step 510, position data of the industrial robot 110can be detected by the control unit 140, which the control unit 140, forexample, may have received by transmission from the positiondetermination unit 130 in FIG. 1. A second method step 520 can providethat the environment detection unit 120 of the industrial robot 110captures environment data from the object 170 in the environment of theindustrial robot 110. In a third method step 530, the control unit 140can transform the position data of the industrial robot 110 and theenvironment data of the object 170 in the environment of the industrialrobot 110 into the figure space.

Alternatively, the data referred to can be first merged in the controlunit 140 and a filtering of the data can be performed and the data canbe submitted to a pattern recognition process. In this context, it ispossible to correlate the position data of the industrial robot 110 andthe environment data of the object 170 in the environment of theindustrial robot 110 with each other temporally and spatially.

It is also conceivable that the control unit 140 additionally determinesfrom the position data of the industrial robot 110 the velocity of theindustrial robot 110 and/or the acceleration of the industrial robot110, and/or from the environment data of the object 170 determines thevelocity of the object 170 and/or the acceleration of the object 170and/or a relative velocity of the object 170 with respect to theindustrial robot 110 and/or a relative acceleration of the object 170with respect to the industrial robot 110. The control unit 140 can thentransform the above-mentioned data into the figure space and define anddisplay the control figure, which can include the above-mentionedprotection zone, and the object figure, which can also include theabove-mentioned protection zone, in the figure space.

Within the third method step 530, the control unit 140 can define thecontrol space for the industrial robot 110, which may include theabove-mentioned protection zone, and display it in the figure space.Furthermore, in the third method step 530 the control unit can representthe object figure of the object 170 in the environment of the industrialrobot 110 in the figure space, which figure can also comprise theabove-mentioned protection zone. In a fourth method step 540 the controlunit 140 can create a parameter set via which the dimensioning of thecontrol figure or the object figure in the figure space together withthe respective protection zone can be taken into account. Also, theparameter set can comprise the temporal and spatial correlation of theposition data of the industrial robot 110 and the environment data ofthe object 170 in the environment of the industrial robot 110, which canenable a filtering of the data and/or a pattern recognition.

The parameter set can also take account of the movement history of theindustrial robot 110 and/or of the object 170 in the environment of theindustrial robot 110. In addition, similarly to the above descriptionthe control unit 140 can additionally determine from the position dataof the industrial robot 110 the velocity of the industrial robot 110and/or the acceleration of the industrial robot 110, and/or from theenvironment data of the object 170 can determine the velocity of theobject 170 and/or the acceleration of the object 170 and/or a relativevelocity of the object 170 with respect to the industrial robot 110and/or a relative acceleration of the object 170 with respect to theindustrial robot 110.

In a fifth method step 550 the control unit 140 can generate an actioninstruction for the industrial robot 110 if the control figure 230 andthe object figure 220 in the figure space 260 satisfy the predefinedcriterion in relation to each other. To this end the control unit 140can determine an intersection pattern 295 of the control figure 230 ofthe industrial robot 110 and the object figure 220 of the object 170 inthe figure space 260. The intersection pattern 295 can be implemented inthe form of a point of intersection, a line of intersection, anintersection surface or, for example, an intersection volume. Also, theintersection pattern 295 can be implemented in the form of an overlap ofthe two figures. In addition, for the specified criterion for thecontrol figure 230 and the object figure 220 in the figure space 260,the control unit 140 can determine an intersection pattern 295 of thecontrol figure 230 and the object figure 220 on the entire plannedtrajectory of the control figure 310 of the industrial robot 110,wherein the intersection pattern 295 can be implemented as above. Thecontrol unit 140 can also define a threshold value in the figure space260, such as a prescribed distance 350, a specified acceleration,velocity, etc., wherein the control unit 140 can specify an exceeding ofthe threshold value by the control figure 230 or the object figure 220or an undershoot of the threshold value by either the control figure 230or the object figure 220 as the specified criterion in the figure space260.

For example, an undershoot of the threshold value (prescribed distance350) can occur if a distance between the control figure 230 and theobject figure 220 in the figure space 260 that is determined by theenvironment detection unit 120 has a lower value than the value of theprescribed distance 350 for the two figures. Exceeding or undershootingof the threshold value can cause triggering of the above-mentionedaction instruction for the industrial robot 110. Exceeding the thresholdvalue can occur, for example, in the case of a velocity and/oracceleration of the object figure which is higher than the prescribedvalue of the velocity and/or acceleration for the object figure.

If the control figure 230 and the object figure 220 in the figure space260 satisfy the specified criterion, which can be specified, forexample, by the control unit 140 for the control figure 230 and theobject figure 220, so the control unit 140 generates the actioninstruction for the industrial robot 110. In this case, the actioninstruction can be implemented in the form of the above actioninstructions and be dependent on the shape of the intersection pattern295 or the overlap. The control unit 140 can also determine thespecified criterion for the control figure 230 and the object figure 220and the generation of the action instruction for the industrial robot110 in the case of the above-mentioned alternative, in which the dataare initially merged in the control unit 140 and subjected to thefiltering and/or the pattern recognition, in the same way as wasexplained in connection with the fourth and fifth method step 540, 550.

FIG. 3 shows a first scaled view 600 and a second scaled view 610 forthe control figure 230 for the industrial robot 110 and the objectfigure 220 of the object 170 in the environment of the industrial robot110 in the figure space 260. In particular, during a movement of thecontrol figure 230 and of the object figure 220 in the figure space 260the control figure 230 and the object figure 220 can be displayed by thecontrol unit 140 on an enlarged scale so that an imminent collision canbe detected faster. Also, the scaling of the two figures can be relatedto weight and/or temperature if the figure space 260 includes additionalconstraints or dimensions. The environment data of the object 170captured in a field of view 160 with the environment detection unit 120of the industrial robot 110, which can be mapped, for example, ontopixels of the TOF camera and/or the LIDAR system, can comprise a singlepoint 210 or a plurality of points in the form of a point cloud 200, anda depth information item, or distance to each recorded point 210. Thedepth information can be determined by the control unit 140 from asupport vector originating from the position data of the industrialrobot 110, which can represent a position of the industrial robot 110,up to a position of the environment detection unit 120 on the industrialrobot 110. The above procedure allows the acquisition of the point cloud200, which can be represented mathematically in the figure space 260 bythe control unit 140, for example in the form of a matrix.

The control unit 140 can filter the point cloud 200, which can comprisethe distance information of the object 170 in relation to the industrialrobot 110, according to a filtering rule. The filtering rule can specifythe application of a sorting algorithm, such as the bubble sortalgorithm or a comparable sorting algorithm. For example, the filteringrule can be designed such that three extreme points of the point cloud200 can be determined by the control unit 140, which can form thevertices. The control unit 140 can use an algorithm to insert atwo-dimensional surface into the vertices of the point cloud 200, whichcan correspond to a rough approximation in which the points are selectedfrom the point cloud 200 that lie on the two-dimensional surface whichin the case of an approximation of the control figure 230 of theindustrial robot 110 to the object 170 can be implemented in the form ofa representation with a higher resolution, thus with multiple points anda different two-dimensional surface. Also, as part of the filtering rulethe control unit 140 can select the points, in other words, for example,filter the points, that have the shortest distance from the controlfigure 230. In addition, it is conceivable that the control unit 140 canuse the points that were used in the preceding calculation as a startingpoint for a new calculation of the filtering rule.

The movement of the object 170 can result in the control unit 140extending or enlarging the sorting algorithm, which can also correspondto a search algorithm. To record a movement behavior or to analyze themovement history of the object 170, the environment detection unit 120of the industrial robot 110, which in this context can be implemented,for example, as a time-of-flight camera, requires two recorded images.For example, the TOF camera can have a frame rate of 50 Hz or 200 Hz forthe recorded images. It is also possible to design the sorting or searchalgorithm so that a point 210 of a first image recorded with theenvironment detection unit 120 of the industrial robot 110 can berecovered on a second image using the sorting or search algorithm.

The control unit 140 can combine points of the point cloud 200 withsimilar properties into a set, the “cluster” described above. Thiscluster can be combined by the control unit 140 to form an object figure220 and/or a geometric object body 240 in the figure space 260. Forexample, the geometric object body 240 can have the shape of a cylinder.Alternatively, other shapes such as a cube, sphere, cone, etc. arepossible. The reduction of the object figure 220 to simple geometricshapes in the figure space for a geometric object body 240 can reducethe required computation time in an advantageous way. In FIG. 3, thegeometric object body 240 in the first scaled view 600 can move in afirst direction of motion 10 in the figure space 260. Due to the motionof the geometric object body 240, the control unit 140 can enlarge thedisplay of the geometric object body in the form of an enlarged-scaleobject body 270, wherein the enlarged scaling can be based on thevelocity and/or the acceleration of the object 170 in the real space.The movement and/or the speed of the geometric object body 240 can bedetermined by the control unit 140 from the derivative of the pointcloud 200 recorded at discrete times or of the images of the TOF cameraand/or the LIDAR system of the environment detection unit 120. Based onthe determined speed of the object 170 and the industrial robot 110 inthe real space, the control unit 140 can display the control figure 230of the industrial robot 110 and the object figure 220 or the geometricobject body 240 enlarged in the form of the enlarged-scale object body270.

In addition, FIG. 3 shows the control figure 230 of the industrial robot110 in the figure space 260 in the first scaled view 600. The controlfigure 230 may also comprise the environment detection unit 120 and itsfield of view 160 in the figure space 260. As an example, FIG. 3 shows asingle environment detection unit 120, which can be integrated into thearm of the control figure 230 of the industrial robot 110. This isintended purely for the purpose of increased clarity and does notindicate any restriction in the design of the industrial robot 110 orthe control figure 230 in the figure space 260. The control figure 230of the industrial robot 110 can move, for example, in a second directionof motion 20 so that the control unit 140 can also display the controlfigure 230 in the figure space on an enlarged scale. The enlargedscaling of the control figure 230 can also be based on the velocityand/or the acceleration of the industrial robot 110 in the real space.

The control figure 230 and the geometric object body 240 canadditionally comprise a protection zone in the figure space 260. Thisstructure has only been chosen as an example for explanation and couldhave been implemented in other ways, i.e. with a protection zone foreach of the given figures.

The first scaled view 600 shows an intersection pattern 295 of theenlarged control figure 230 and the enlarged geometric object body 270in the figure space 260. For example, the intersection pattern 295 inFIG. 3 can be implemented in the form of an intersection point.Alternatively, the intersection pattern can be implemented in the formof an intersection line, an intersection surface, or an intersectionvolume. Since the intersection pattern 295, thus for example, theintersection point, can according to the above explanation correspond tothe specified criterion which the control figure 230 and the objectfigure 220 in the figure space 260 can satisfy in relation to eachother, the control unit 140 can therefore generate the actioninstruction for the industrial robot 110 in the real space. For example,the action instruction for the industrial robot 110 can specify that theindustrial robot 110 should slow down the movement, in other words thatthe industrial robot 110 should decelerate and advance in the real spacewith reduced speed.

The situation described is shown in the second scaled view 610 in thelower portion of FIG. 3. As a result of the action instruction for theindustrial robot 110 the control unit 140 can display the controlfigure, which can move in a third direction of motion 30, in the form ofa reduced-scale control figure 280, and thereby reduce the likelihood ofa possible collision occurring between the industrial robot 110 and theobject 170 in the real space, and/or between the control figure 230 andthe object figure 220 in the figure space 260, and mitigate thehazardous situation. In so doing, the control unit 140 can shrink thereduced-scale control figure 280 until it matches the real dimensions ofthe industrial robot 110 in the real space. A further reduction of thereduced-scale control figure 280 is not provided for the control unit140. The same considerations can also apply to the dimensions of theenlarged-scale geometric object body 270 or to the dimensions of thegeometric object body 240 or to the dimensions of the object figure 220in the case of a reduced scaling in relation to the actual dimensions ofthe object 170.

If the control unit 140 still cannot prevent the reduced-scale controlfigure 280 and the larger-scale geometric object body 270 in the figurespace 260 from intersecting in the intersection pattern 295 despite areduced scaling of the reduced-scale control figure 280, and if thecontrol unit 140 also cannot determine an alternative trajectory for theindustrial robot 110 in the real space or for the reduced-scale controlfigure 280 in the figure space 260, then the control unit 140 cangenerate an alternative action instruction for the industrial robot 110,for example to restrict the industrial robot 110 to a limited moment orto shut down the industrial robot 110.

FIG. 4 shows a third scaled view 620 and a fourth scaled view 630 of thecontrol figure 230 for the industrial robot 110 in the figure space 260.The third scaled view 620 and the fourth scaled view 630 have only beenchosen for the control figure 230 as an example, however, and canlikewise be applied to the object figure 220 in FIG. 3. The third scaledview 620 of the control figure 230 of the industrial robot 110 in theleft-hand section of the image shows how the control unit 140 simplifiesthe representation of the control figure 230 to a geometric control bodyin the figure space 260. In this case the individual axes of theindustrial robot 110 in the real space, or the individual axes of thecontrol figure 230 in the figure space 260, are each represented asseparate geometric bodies in the figure space 260. The geometric controlbody 290 which is scaled up to a high level of detail can have, forexample, a plurality of cylinders in the figure space 260, which canrepresent the dimensions of the control figure 230 in the figure space260 or of the industrial robot 110 in the real space, wherein thedimensions of the highly detailed scaled geometric control body 290 arenever smaller than the real dimensions of the industrial robot 110 inthe real space. Alternatively, the control unit 140 can represent thegeometric control body 290 with a single cylinder or simulate acomparable geometric body such as a cube, cuboid, cone, etc., or aplurality of these comparable geometric bodies. The control unit 140 canalso represent further objects in the environment of the industrialrobot 110 as further geometric object bodies in the figure space 260. Inaddition, the representation of virtual objects in relation to thegeometric control body 290 in the figure space is also possible.

In the left-hand image section shown in FIG. 4 of the third scaled view620 of the control figure 230, the simulated version of the controlfigure 230 by the control unit 140 appears in the form of the geometriccontrol body 290 scaled to a high degree of detail in the figure space260. The right-hand image section of the third scaled view 620, on theother hand, shows only the geometric control body 290 scaled up to ahigh level of detail, which is represented in this form, for example bythe control unit 140 in the figure space 260.

An advantage of the representation of the geometric control body in theform of a plurality of cylinders, cubes, cuboids and/or other geometricobjects is that with the increased level of detail in the figure space260 a higher resolution of the collision prediction can be achieved thanis possible with a representation of the geometric control body 250 thatdoes not contain a plurality of cylinders, cubes, cuboids and/or othergeometric objects. The control unit 140 can also change the dimensionsof the object figure 220, the control figure 230, the geometric objectbody 240, the enlarged-scale geometric object body 270, the geometriccontrol body 290 scaled to a high level of detail, and additionalvirtual objects represented in the figure space 260 and described above,as a function of their velocity and/or acceleration and/or otherparameters. For example, a direction of motion indicated in the figurespace 260 of the control figure 230, of the geometric control body 290scaled to a high level of detail and/or the object figure 220, of thegeometric object body 240, which has either already been completed as inFIG. 3 or is planned, can result in the control unit 140 enlarging thecontrol figure 230, the geometric control body 290 scaled to a highlevel of detail and/or the object figure 220 and/or the geometric objectbody 240 in the figure space 260.

The control unit 140 can also display only single cylinders, cubes,cuboids, etc. of the geometric control body 290 scaled to a high degreeof detail, and/or individual geometric bodies from which the geometricobject body 240 can be assembled, on an enlarged scale in the figurespace 260, wherein the scale can be enlarged in relation to thecompleted or planned direction of motion of the geometric control body290 scaled to a high degree of detail or of the geometric object body240. A representative example is given by the fourth scaled view 630 ofthe control figure 230. The control figure 230, as shown in the lefthalf of the image, can move in the direction of the fourth movementdirection 40, for example, and may be displayed by the control unit 140,as shown in the right half of the image, for example as a scaled-upgeometric control body 300 with a high level of detail in the figurespace 260 with enlarged cylinders, cubes, cuboids, etc., which canrelate to the fourth movement direction 40 of the control figure 230.Alternatively, the control unit 140 can enlarge the entire geometriccontrol body 300, which is scaled to a high level of detail andenlarged, in the figure space 260. It is further conceivable for thecontrol unit 140 also to perform a dynamic shape change in the figurespace 260 for the geometric control body 290 scaled to a high level ofdetail or for the geometric object body 240.

In addition, it is conceivable that the control unit 140 automaticallyswitches dynamically from displaying the geometric control body 250and/or the geometric object body 240 with a low level of detail intodisplaying the geometric control body 290 scaled with a high degree ofdetail or into a display of the enlarged-scale geometric control body300 with a high level of detail and/or a display of the geometric objectbody scaled with a high degree of detail, or to a display of theenlarged-scale geometric object body with a high level of detail in thefigure space 260. For example, this can be carried out in the event ofan overshoot or undershoot of the above-mentioned threshold value.

Another conceivable option is for the control unit 140 to change thedisplay of the geometric control body 290 scaled to a high degree ofdetail or a display of the enlarged-scale geometric control body 300with a high level of detail and/or a display of the geometric objectbody scaled with a high degree of detail and/or a display of theenlarged-scale geometric object body with a high level of detail backinto a display of the geometric control body 250 and/or the geometricobject body 240 with a low level of detail. This is particularlypossible in the case of a mitigated hazardous situation. An intersectionpattern of the geometric bodies in the figure space 260 can in turn leadto generation of the above-mentioned action instruction and/or acombination of action instructions for the industrial robot 110 in thereal space. Therefore the control unit 140 can display many differentscaled views of the above figures or bodies with different levels ofdetail in the figure space 260 and dynamically adapt the level ofdetail, for example, to the respective situation.

In addition, the control unit 140 can display the planned trajectory 310of the control figure 230 in the figure space 260. An example of this isshown in FIG. 5. FIG. 5 also shows a schematic representation of aplurality of environment detection units 120, which can be integrated,for example, into the control figure 230 in the figure space 260 or intothe at least one arm of the industrial robot 110 in the real space andcan be implemented in the form of a plurality of LIDAR systems and/or aplurality of TOF cameras, along with their field of vision 160. Thecontrol unit 140 can represent the planned trajectory 310 of the controlfigure 230 in the figure space 260 in the form of a polygonal chain asin FIG. 5, or as a mathematical function. In addition, in accordancewith the above description the control unit 140 can represent an objectfigure 220 of the object 170 in the environment of the industrial robot110 in the figure space 260. For example, as shown in FIG. 5 the objectfigure 220 can represent a person in the figure space 260. In addition,the object figure 220 can also be displayed by the control unit 140 in asimplified form as a geometric object body 240, in order to reduce thecomputational effort.

The control unit 140 can then, as stated above, determine anintersection pattern 295 with the object figure 220 or the object body240 over the entire planned trajectory 310 of the control figure 230.This intersection pattern 295 in FIG. 5 can be implemented, for example,in the form of an intersection point and form the specified criterion inresponse to which the control unit 140 generates an action instructionfor the industrial robot 110 in the real space. In doing so, the controlfigure 230 of the industrial robot 110 can move along the plannedtrajectory of the control figure 310 in the figure space 260 as far asthe intersection pattern 295, which in FIG. 5 is implemented as thepoint of intersection of the control figure 230 and the geometric objectbody 240. The action instruction for the industrial robot 110 is notgenerated by the control unit 140 until reaching the intersectionpattern 295, in other words the point of intersection of the controlfigure 230 on the planned trajectory of the control figure 310 and thegeometric object body 240.

The action instruction can be one of the above-mentioned actioninstructions and/or a combination of the listed action instructions. Forexample, the industrial robot 110 in the real space and the controlfigure 230 in the figure space 260 can be forced to move on analternative trajectory. The control unit 140 can determine thealternative trajectory for the control figure 230, for example,dynamically on the basis of the movement history of the object figure220 or the object body 240, comprising the velocity of the object figure220 and/or the acceleration of the object figure 220, and/or based onthe movement history of the control figure 230, comprising the velocityof the control figure 230 and/or the acceleration of the control figure230, and/or on the basis of additional constraints in the figure space260. In addition, the control unit 140 can specify the alternativetrajectory for the control figure 230 or the industrial robot 110. Thecontrol unit 140 can thus generate an action instruction for theindustrial robot 110 which causes the industrial robot 110 to move alongthe alternative trajectory.

FIG. 6 shows the protection zone 330, which, for example, the controlfigure 230 can contain in the figure space 260. The protection zone 330can be a virtual object which does not exist in the real space and isgenerated by the control unit 140 in the figure space 260. For example,the protection zone 330 in FIG. 6 is implemented in the form of aprotective wall. Other geometric designs of the protected zone 330 arealso conceivable, such as, for example, a sphere, etc. The control unit140 can be designed so as to form the protection zone 330 staticallyaround the control figure 230 in the figure space 260 so that this doesnot move due to a movement of the control figure 230 in the figure space260. Similarly, the control unit 140 can form the protection zone 330dynamically, so that a movement of the control figure 230 results in theprotection zone 330 around the control figure 230 moving at the sametime.

Also, the movement of the control figure 230 can result in the regioncomprised by the protection zone 330 being enlarged dynamically, whereinthe region comprised by the protection zone 330 in the figure space 260can be enlarged by the control unit 140 with increasing velocity of thecontrol figure 230 and/or with increasing acceleration of the controlfigure 230. In this context, it is also conceivable that the controlunit 140 for the object figure 220 in the figure space 260 forms ananalogous protection zone 330, which can be implemented dynamically orstatically and can be adapted to the velocity of the object figure 220and/or the acceleration of the object figure 220 and can be increased insize with increasing velocity of the object figure 220 and/or increasingvelocity, so that the region covered by the protection zone 330 is alsoincreased in size. In addition, the control unit 140 can be designed toform the protection zone 330 around the geometric control body 250 oraround the geometric object body 240 in the figure space 260 staticallyor dynamically. It is also conceivable to take the protection zone 330into account at the time of dimensioning the control figure 230 and/orthe geometric control body 250 and/or the object figure 220 and/or thegeometric object body 240, and that it is not displayed by the controlunit 140 separately in the figure space 260.

It is further conceivable that in order to define the protection zone330 around the control figure 230 and/or the object figure 220 and/orthe geometric control body 250 and/or the geometric object body 240, thecontrol unit 140 takes into account additional constraints orparameters, which can include, for example, a weight, a temperature, anobject, a workpiece, etc.

In the case of an intersection pattern 295, which can be implemented asa point of intersection, a line of intersection, an intersection surfaceor an intersection volume of the object figure 220 and/or the geometricobject body 240 with the protection zone 330 surrounding the controlfigure 230 and/or with the protection zone 330 surrounding the geometriccontrol body 250 in the figure space 260, the control unit 140 cangenerate the action instruction for the industrial robot 110 in the realspace. For the possible characteristics of the generated actioninstruction, refer to the above explanation.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a virtual light barrier between the positionof the control figure 230 and the position of the object figure 220 inthe figure space 260. The object figure 220 in FIG. 7 can represent amachine or system of an automation system in the figure space 260. Forexample, the position of the control figure 230 and the position of theobject figure 220 in relation to each other in the figure space 260 canbe located within a distance 350 specified by the control unit 140. Inthis case, the control unit 140 may have determined the value of theprescribed distance 350 and/or the values of the prescribed distance 350using the position detection unit 130 and/or the environment detectionunit 120 and/or additional sensors or alternative detection units thatcan determine distances, and can use the prescribed distance 350 as athreshold value of the virtual light barrier. The threshold value cantherefore form one of the above-mentioned versions of the specifiedcriterion that the control figure 230 and the object figure 220 cansatisfy with respect to each other in the figure space 260.

In FIG. 7, three prescribed distances 350 are shown by dashed lines atselected points between the position of the control figure 230 and theposition of the object figure 220, which form the threshold value of thevirtual light barrier. The threshold value is therefore not limited toone value, but can also comprise multiple values. Also, the number ofprescribed distances 350 shown as dashed lines in FIG. 7 has been chosenarbitrarily, and can equally well differ from this value. The accuracyand the reliability of the virtual light barrier can be increased usinga plurality of predefined distances 350 which are drawn as dashed linesin FIG. 7, because an undershooting of the threshold value whichcomprises a plurality multiple values can be detected more rapidly bythe control unit 140.

By the environment detection unit 120 of the industrial robot 110 in thereal space a measured distance 360 between the position of theindustrial robot 110 and/or the positions of the industrial robot 110and the position of the object 170 in the environment of the industrialrobot 110 and/or the positions of the object in the environment of theindustrial robot 110 can be acquired, and these can be continuouslytransformed into the figure space 260 by the control unit 140, so that260 the measured distance 360 between the positions of the controlfigure 230 of the industrial robot 110 drawn in FIG. 7 and the positionsof the object figure 220 of the object 170 in the environment of theindustrial robot 110 in the figure space can be determined. The measureddistance 360 is shown in FIG. 7 by three example positions using thedashed and dotted line shown. In the left-hand section of the image themeasured distance 360 matches the prescribed distance 350 between thepositions of the control figure 230 and the positions of the object FIG.220 in the figure space, which means the virtual light barrier has notbeen interrupted and the threshold value, i.e. the prescribed distance350, has not been violated. The control unit 140 therefore generates noaction instruction for the industrial robot 110 in the real space.

For example, if an additional object in the real space intervenesbetween the position of the industrial robot 110 and the position of theobject 170 in the environment of the industrial robot 110, thenenvironment data of this additional object can be collected by theenvironment detection unit 120 and/or the additional sensors and/or analternative detection unit and transformed into the figure space 260 bythe control unit 140 and displayed as a further object figure 340. Inthe chosen example shown in FIG. 7 in the right half of the image, theadditional object figure 340 can represent, for example, a person in thefigure space 260 who walks between the control figure 230 and the objectfigure 220 and interrupts the virtual light barrier.

If the environment detection unit 120 of the industrial robot 110 in thereal space can determine, due to the additional object between theposition of the industrial robot 110 and the position of the object 170,a measured distance 360 for the three example positions between thecontrol figure 230 and the object figure 220 which differs from theprescribed distance 350 for the three example positions between thecontrol figure 230 and the object figure 220, this is transformed by thecontrol unit 140 into the figure space 260, so that in the figure space260 the measured distance 360 between the control figure 230 and theobject figure 220, with the additional object figure 340 placed betweenthem, can be evaluated. The threshold value, i.e. the prescribeddistance 350, comprising the three example values for the threepositions between the control figure 230 and the object figure 220 canbe violated, for example, if the measured distance 360 comprising thethree example values for the three positions between the control figure230 and the object figure 220 comprises a lower value for each of thethree positions than the value of the prescribed distance 350 for thethree positions between the control figure 230 and the object FIG. 220in the figure space 260. In the event that the threshold value isviolated, the control unit 140 can be designed to generate one of theabove-mentioned action instructions for the industrial robot 110, or acombination thereof.

The exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 7 is not limited to a virtuallight barrier. Instead of a virtual light barrier the control unit 140can specify, for example, the distance 350 between two or more positionsin the figure space 260 which form the threshold value and which areevaluated by the control unit 140 in the figure space 260 in comparisonto a measured distance 360 between the two or more positions. Thecontrol unit 140 can then generate the action instruction or acombination of operating instructions for the industrial robot 110 inthe real space in the same way as for a violation of the thresholdvalue. It is also conceivable for the threshold value to be formed by avelocity specified by the control unit 140 and/or a specifiedacceleration of the control figure 230 relative to the object figure220, which is evaluated by the control unit 140 together with a measuredvelocity and/or a measured acceleration of the control figure 230relative to the object figure 220. In the example described, anovershooting of the threshold value can also lead to a generation of theaction instruction for the industrial robot 110 in the real space, inthe same way as the above undershooting of the threshold value.

The virtual light barrier shown in FIG. 7 can also be implementeddynamically. In this context it is also conceivable to arrange aplurality of virtual light barriers in the figure space 260 in the formof a network or a two-dimensional surface, wherein the same principlewhich can cause the triggering of an action instruction for theindustrial robot 110 in the real space can be applied as in the case ofa single virtual light barrier.

FIG. 8 shows an illustration of a vector field 320 in the figure space260. For example, the control unit 140 can represent the object figure220 in the form of the vector field 320, comprising a plurality ofdirection vectors, in the figure space 260. In doing so, the directionvectors can each have a length that may depend on the movement of theobject figure 220 in the figure space 260 and be taken into account inthis context by the control unit 140. Also, the length of the directionvectors can depend on the relative velocity of the object figure 220 inrelation to the control figure 230 or the simplified geometric controlbody 250, and/or on other constraints. The control unit 140 can becalculated by taking the partial derivative with respect to time of thepoints of the object 170 captured with the environment detection unit120 of the industrial robot 110 in the environment of the industrialrobot 110, for example, the direction vectors (relative velocity). Inthis way, the control unit 140 can predict a time of a possible imminentcollision.

For example, the geometric control body 250, which can form a simplifiedversion of the control figure 230 in the figure space 260, can move inthe second movement direction 20 in FIG. 8. It is also apparent in FIG.8 that the geometric control body 250 can intersect the vector field 320which represents the object figure 220 in an intersection pattern 295,which can be formed in accordance with the above description. Thus, oneor more direction vectors of the vector field 320 can intersect thegeometric control body 250 in the intersection pattern 295 which isimplemented, for example, as a point of intersection, so that thecontrol unit 140 for the industrial robot 110 in the real space cangenerate one or a combination of the above action instructions in orderthat no collision with the object 170 can occur in the real space.

As an alternative to the representation of the object figure 220 in theform of the vector field 320 it is also possible to represent thecontrol figure 230 or the geometric control body 250 as a vector fieldhaving a plurality of direction vectors. The direction vectors thatrepresent the control figure 230 or the geometric control body 250 canalso have a length that is dependent on the movement of the controlfigure 230 or the geometric control body 250. Similarly, the length ofthe direction vectors can also depend on other constraints, as has beenexplained above in relation to the object figure 220.

In addition, both for a representative display of the object figure 220and of the control figure 230 or the geometric control body 250 in theform of the vector field 320, it is conceivable for the multipledirection vectors of the vector field 320 to be modifiable by thecontrol unit 140 using constraints or parameters, and/or for the controlunit 140 to be designed to append geometric bodies to the directionvectors in the figure space 260.

Moreover, it is conceivable for the control unit 140 to display theobject 170 in the real space in its entirety, i.e. in full detail in thefigure space 260 as object figure 220. For example, the control unit 140can display the object figure 220 in the figure space 260 in aspeed-dependent way and/or in a distorted form as a function of a changein an alternative constraint.

Most of the known systems which allow a collaboration with an industrialrobot, do not capture the tool holders, tools, grippers, workpieces etc.(hereafter referred to as objects). On the one hand this is notrequired, since these systems work by monitoring torques. On the otherhand, these systems cannot capture objects, with the exception ofweight. The proposed industrial robot system 100 can incorporate objectsin the real space directly into the representation of the control figure230 of the industrial robot 110 in the figure space 260 and allow forthem in the computation of impending collisions. The control unit 140thus extends the control figure 230 of the industrial robot 110 orgeometric control body 250 to include the dimension of the object thatthe industrial robot 110 can transport in the real space.

The industrial robot 110 can work, for example, in a free mode in orderto measure the dimensions of the object to be transported, in otherwords, the industrial robot 110 acquires the dimensions of the objectitself, since the object, for example, is an object unknown to theindustrial robot 110. The measurement of the object to be transportedcan be carried out using the environment detection unit 120 of theindustrial robot 110. To do so, the industrial robot takes hold of theobject and directs it towards one of its environment detection units120, for example in the form of one and/or more TOF cameras and/or LIDARsystems. Then the industrial robot 110 can rotate the object in front ofthe selected camera or LIDAR system. The control unit 140 combines therecorded images such that a 3D image of the object is produced, andaugments the industrial robot in the figure space 260 to include thedimensions of the object.

In addition, it is also conceivable to measure the object to betransported by the industrial robot 110 using an external system, suchas an external environment detection unit in the form of one and/or moreTOF cameras and/or a LIDAR system. The 3D image obtained is againtransformed into the figure space 260 by the control unit 140 and thecontrol figure 230 of the industrial robot 110 is thereby extended.

In addition, the industrial robot 110 can operate in a safety mode,which means the industrial robot 110 can transport an object whosedimensions are known. In the case of a six-axis industrial robot 110 theobject to be transported can form the seventh axis of the industrialrobot 110, which is incorporated into the calculations. The control unit140 can also continue the calculations required for displaying theobject and the control figure 230 or the geometric control body 250 inthe figure space 260 and for computing the time of a possible collisionwith the complete seventh axis, even if a part of the object that canform the seventh axis of the industrial robot 110 has been broken off,for example.

Each object that the industrial robot 110 can carry may be sensitive indifferent ways or have dangerous areas. One example is a knife which isbeing transported by an industrial robot 110. In the figure space 260the blade and the tip can be displayed by the control unit 140 on alarger scale, so that an imminent collision in these areas is quicklydetected. The industrial robot system 100 can thus be made moresensitive in these areas, which means the sensitivity of the system canthus be improved.

If the industrial robot system 100 comprises a plurality of industrialrobots 110 which are provided with the above-mentioned detection units,their recorded data can be combined in a common model and, for example,evaluated by a central control unit 140. In this way, not only canprotection zones 330 be displayed in the figure space 260, but shadedareas caused by the individual detection units and positions of thevarious industrial robot 110 can be eliminated.

In order to reduce the number of sensors and/or detection units of theindustrial robot system, the industrial robot 110 can, for example, onlymove in the movement direction that has been captured by the sensordevices and/or the detection units. If the industrial robot 110 tries tomove into a non-captured region, the industrial robot 110 can, forexample, first align itself towards this region and capture the regionwith the sensor devices and/or the detection units before subsequentlymoving into the region. A simple analogous example of this is a personwho first turns around and only then moves in this direction. In thiscase, the sensors and/or detection units for such an approach do notneed to be installed exclusively in the area of an end-effector of theindustrial robot 110, wherein the end-effector can be the final elementof a kinematic chain, for example, a unit for welding car bodies, ormore generally a gripper. It is possible to arrange the sensors and/orthe detection units optimally depending on the configuration of theindustrial robot 110. Even mobile sensors and/or mobile detection unitscan be used here, for example an environment detection unit modulecomprising TOF cameras or a LIDAR system, wherein the module can changethe orientation and therefore the field of view 160 independently of theindustrial robot.

One possibility for increasing the resolution of the environmentdetection unit 120 in the form of one and/or more TOF cameras and/or aLIDAR system can be to combine the environment detection unit 120 withan ordinary camera. In this case contours can be advantageously detectedby the control unit 140, since an ordinary camera can provide colorinformation, while a TOF camera and a LIDAR system can only supply thedepth information for each pixel. The control unit 140 can be designedto analyze the color information using common image processing methods.The resulting data can then be merged with the depth information datafrom the TOF camera and/or the LIDAR system, in the control unit 140. Ifthe control unit 140 can detect a contour using, for example, one of theabove algorithms or a filtering rule, the control unit 140 can combinethe depth information in this region to form a cluster.

It is also conceivable to extend the industrial robot system 100described here to include the functions of artificial or self-learningsystems. For example, the object recognition can be carried out using aneural network. Also, the process of deciding which action should beinitiated as a result of an imminent collision can thus be completedwith self-learning techniques.

A further possibility, for the purpose of widening the field of view 160and the range that can be captured with the sensor devices and/or theenvironment detection unit 120 implemented as a time-of-flight camera orLIDAR system, is to arrange a plurality of sensor chips on theindustrial robot 110 according to a specific geometry and to place acommon optical lens in front of the arrangement. In this way, atime-of-flight camera and/or a LIDAR system with an enlarged field ofview 160 and an enlarged capture range can be implemented for theindustrial robot system 100.

In addition, it would also be possible to deploy the environmentdetection unit 120 as a time-of-flight camera or a LIDAR system whichcan only provide distance information, for example. In other words, theindustrial robot system 100 can omit the determination of the velocityand/or acceleration of the industrial robot 110 or the object 170 in theenvironment of the industrial robot 110, and the control unit 140 canevaluate only distance information in the figure space 260.Alternatively, the distance information can also be evaluated using acloud service, wherein the cloud service is accessible through webbrowsers and enables services such as the evaluation of the distanceinformation using computing power, storage space and applicationsoftware provided over the internet.

To comply with increased safety requirements, it is conceivable for allenvironment detection units 120 and/or position detection units 130and/or all other sensor devices to be designed redundantly in theindustrial robot system 100. Also, a redundant operation can be providedso that depth as well as image information can be compared by thecontrol unit 140, and incorrect information can thus be detected. Inparticular, the control unit 140 can generate an action instruction forthe industrial robot 110 if the data of the TOF cameras and LIDARsystems or other sensors captured in the redundant mode are notconsistent with the same field of view 160, i.e. do not match.

Another option for building a redundant industrial robot system 100 canbe achieved, for example, using the deflection of light onto twoenvironment detection units 120, thus, for example, two TOF cameras.Using an optical system the same image section can be directed to twoTOF cameras, similar to a binocular attachment for a telescope ormicroscope which allows observation with two eyes, in order to increasethe reliability of the industrial robot system 100.

It is also conceivable to provide an ability to detect a fault in theindustrial robot system 100 if a known object 170 in the environment ofthe industrial robot 110, whose position and dimensions are known or canbe determined by the environment detection unit 120 or the positiondetection unit 130, can no longer be recognized by the control unit 140as the known object 170 in a subsequent acquisition of environment dataof the object 170 by the environment detection unit 120 or the positiondetection unit 130. Even in such a case the control unit 140 cangenerate one of the above-mentioned instructions and, for example, shutdown the industrial robot 110.

In addition, it is also conceivable to use safety-designed TOF camerasor LIDAR systems for increased safety requirements. These can detectinternal faults and faults in the industrial robot system 100themselves, and by interaction with the control unit 140 can effect ashutdown of the industrial robot 110 or an alternative actioninstruction for the industrial robot 110.

The invention has been described in detail by exemplary embodiments.Instead of the described exemplary embodiments, other exemplaryembodiments are conceivable, which can comprise further modifications orcombinations of described features. For this reason, the invention isnot limited by the disclosed examples since a person skilled in the artcan derive other variations therefrom, without having to depart from thescope of protection of the invention.

The advantageous designs and extensions described above and/orreproduced in the subclaims can be applied individually or else in anycombination with each other—except, for example, in cases of cleardependencies or incompatible alternatives.

1. A method for controlling an industrial robot, wherein position dataof the industrial robot are detected, wherein environment data from anobject in an environment of the industrial robot are detected with anenvironment detection unit, wherein the position data of the industrialrobot and the environment data of the object in the environment of theindustrial robot are transformed into a common figure space in which acontrol figure is defined for the industrial robot and an object figureof the object in the environment of the industrial robot is represented,wherein a parameter set is created, which takes into account adimensioning of the control figure and the object figure in the figurespace, wherein the parameter set comprises a temporal and spatialcorrelation of the position data of the industrial robot and theenvironment data of the object in the environment of the industrialrobot, and takes into account the movement history of the industrialrobot and/or of the object in the environment of the industrial robot,and wherein an action instruction for the industrial robot is generatedif the control figure and the object figure in the figure space satisfya predefined criterion in relation to each other.
 2. The method asclaimed in claim 1, wherein for the predefined criterion for the controlfigure and the object figure in the figure space an intersection patternof the control figure for the industrial robot and of the object figureof the object in the environment of the industrial robot is determined,and/or wherein for the predefined criterion for the control figure andthe object figure in the figure space, an intersection pattern of thecontrol figure and the object figure of the object in the environment ofthe industrial robot is determined on an entire planned trajectory ofthe control figure of the industrial robot, and/or wherein for thespecified criterion for the control figure and the object figure in thefigure space an undershooting of a threshold or an overshooting of thethreshold of the control figure of the industrial robot and/or theobject figure of the object in the environment of the industrial robotis determined.
 3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plannedtrajectory of the control figure of the industrial robot is determinedand represented in the figure space as a polygonal chain or as amathematical function.
 4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein aprescribed distance between a position of the object figure of theobject in the environment of the industrial robot and the position ofthe control figure for the industrial robot is represented in the figurespace and forms the threshold value, wherein a measured distance betweenthe position of the object figure and the position of the control figurein the figure space is continuously determined, and wherein thethreshold value is undershot if a measuring distance is determined whichcontains a lower value than the threshold value.
 5. The method asclaimed in claim 1, wherein for dimensioning the control figure for theindustrial robot and/or for dimensioning the object figure of the objectin the environment of the industrial robot the movement history of theindustrial robot is taken into account by the velocity of the industrialrobot and/or the acceleration of the industrial robot being determinedfrom the position data of the industrial robot, and/or wherein themovement history of the object in the environment of the industrialrobot is taken into account by the velocity of the object and/or theacceleration of the object being determined from the environment data ofthe object in the environment of the industrial robot.
 6. The method asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the control figure for the industrial robotcan be represented in the figure space in simplified form as a geometriccontrol body, and/or wherein the object figure of the object in theenvironment of the industrial robot can be represented in the figurespace in simplified form as a geometric object body.
 7. The method asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the object figure of the object in theenvironment of the industrial robot and/or the control figure of theindustrial robot can be represented in the figure space as a directionvector, wherein the direction vector has a length which is dependent onthe movement of the object figure of the object in the environment ofthe industrial robot and/or on the movement of the control figure of theindustrial robot.
 8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein during amovement of the control figure for the industrial robot and/or during amovement of the object figure of the object in the environment of theindustrial robot in the figure space, the control figure for theindustrial robot and/or the object figure of the object in theenvironment of the industrial robot are displayed in the figure space onan enlarged scale and/or scaled with a higher degree of detail.
 9. Themethod as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control figure for theindustrial robot in the figure space is extensible to include an object,and wherein for this purpose the control figure of the industrial robotin the figure space is extended by a dimension of the object.
 10. Themethod as claimed in claim 1, wherein the environment data of the objectin the environment of the industrial robot determined with theenvironment detection unit are represented as a point in the figurespace, wherein a point cloud in the figure space has a plurality ofpoints comprising distance information from the object in theenvironment of the industrial robot, and wherein the points of the pointcloud are filtered according to a filtering rule and the object figureof the object in the environment of the industrial robot is created fromthis.
 11. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein an actioninstruction for the industrial robot comprises the following actions:slowing down the movement of the industrial robot; restriction of theindustrial robot to a given moment, which is provided by at least onemotor of the industrial robot; switching off the industrial robot;movement of the industrial robot out of a task space in which theindustrial robot performs specified tasks when the object in theenvironment of the industrial robot is located in the task space andtransferring the industrial robot into a waiting position, movement ofthe industrial robot back into the task space if the object in theenvironment of the industrial robot has left the task space, or movementof the industrial robot on an alternative trajectory when the object inthe environment of the industrial robot is moving on the plannedtrajectory of the industrial robot, and wherein the alternativetrajectory for the industrial robot can be specified or is determineddynamically in the figure space.
 12. An industrial robot system, havingan industrial robot and a control unit, wherein position data of theindustrial robot and environment data of the object in the environmentof the industrial robot are transformed into a common figure space by acontrol unit in which a control figure is defined for the industrialrobot and an object figure of the object in the environment of theindustrial robot is represented by the control unit, wherein a parameterset is created by the control unit, which takes into account adimensioning of the control figure and the object figure in the figurespace, wherein the parameter set comprises a temporal and spatialcorrelation of the position data of the industrial robot and theenvironment data of the object in the environment of the industrialrobot, and takes into account the movement history of the industrialrobot and/or of the object in the environment of the industrial robot,and wherein an action instruction for the industrial robot is generatedif the control figure and the object figure in the figure space satisfya predefined criterion in relation to each other.
 13. The industrialrobot system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the industrial robot isdesigned as a multi-axis robot and has at least one arm which issuitable for picking up an object, wherein the industrial robot has atleast one motor for propulsion and to provide a moment, and wherein theenvironment detection unit of the industrial robot is designed tocapture environmental data of an object in an environment of theindustrial robot and transmit it to the control unit.
 14. The industrialrobot system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the control unit isdesigned to transform the position data of the industrial robot and theenvironment data of the object in the environment of the industrialrobot into a common figure space, which is designed to specify a controlfigure for the industrial robot and to represent an object figure of theobject in the environment of the industrial robot, wherein the controlunit is designed to create a parameter set which takes into account adimensioning of the control figure in the figure space, wherein theparameter set comprises a temporal and spatial correlation of theposition data of the industrial robot and the environment data of theobject in the environment of the industrial robot, and takes intoaccount the movement history of the industrial robot and/or of theobject in the environment of the industrial robot, and wherein thecontrol unit is designed to generate an action instruction for theindustrial robot if the control figure and the object figure in thefigure space satisfy a predefined criterion in relation to each other.15. The industrial robot system as claimed in claim 12, wherein thecontrol unit can be integrated internally into the industrial robot oris designed as an external control unit.
 16. A detection system, atleast including an environment detection unit and a position detectionunit, wherein position data of the industrial robot are detected withthe position detection unit of the industrial robot, and whereinenvironment data from an object in an environment of the industrialrobot are detected with the environment detection unit.
 17. Thedetection system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the environmentdetection unit has a plurality of time of flight (TOF) cameras and/orLIDAR systems that are integrated into the at least one arm of theindustrial robot.
 18. The detection system as claimed in claim 17,wherein the environment detection unit can be implemented as an externalenvironment detection unit, wherein the environment detection unit isdesigned as an external plurality of TOF cameras and/or LIDAR systems.19. The detection system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the industrialrobot has a sensor device, which can also be implemented as an externalsensor device, the sensor device being designed to determineenvironmental data from the object in the environment of the industrialrobot and transfer it to the control unit.